Pavlov and the kingdom of dogs
Stories
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Welcome to Pavlov and the Kingdom of Dogs
Welcome to Pavlov and the Kingdom of Dogs, an exhibition exploring the extraordinary story of Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov and the lives of the countless dogs that were the subject of his experiments
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The Institute of Experimental Medicine
In the heart of the bustling capital city of St Petersburg you will find the Institute of Experimental Medicine, a hive of scientific activity and Pavlov’s main place of work
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The Towers of Silence
Our reimagining of the Towers of Silence bear witness to some of the most disturbing experiments in the history of psychology
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The Physiology Department
At the centre of Pavlov’s enterprise was the Institute’s Physiology Department, where he was surrounded by co-workers, animal handlers, state-of-the-art equipment, and of course, dogs
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Dogs in Motion
Every day, dozens of dogs would need to be transported to and from various buildings within the Institute’s extensive grounds – but how?
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The Anatomical Lecture Theatre
What must it have been like to be an audience member during one of Pavlov’s demonstrations of physiological or psychological processes using living animals?
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Action Comrade Pavlov
Pavlov became a national hero in later life, a perfect symbol of Soviet scientific progress. What better way to reflect his superstar status than to create an action figure in his image, complete with canine companion?
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Gastric Juice for Sale
Do you struggle with indigestion? Can we tempt you to try the gastric juice of a dog as the perfect remedy?
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Bandit! Barbarian!
Pavlov’s experiments did not meet with blanket public approval, reminding us that animal rights protests are far from a recent phenomenon
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Other Observations
Why did Pavlov consider the collection of information about the unique behaviours and personalities of each dog (and later chimps) to be so important?
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A Memorial to the Kingdom of Dogs
The names of many of Pavlov’s dogs survive in historical archives, and here we bring them all together for the first time
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Why Pavlov’s Dogs Still Matter
Pavlov’s experiments took place a century ago — why should we still care about telling the stories of the animals involved?